The African Union Commission has opened applications for Cohort 2 of the Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme, creating a major opportunity for promising African entrepreneurs to access structured training, expert mentorship, intellectual property support and market access opportunities. The Enterprise Africa Network Fellowship Programme is an African Union Commission Startup Acceleration Initiative and serves as the AU’s flagship programme for supporting the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Implemented through the African Union Commission’s Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM), the fellowship is designed to help African enterprises strengthen their businesses and prepare for greater growth and expansion. Cohort 2 will support 100 fellows from all 55 African Union Member States. The programme is particularly focused on helping businesses unlock opportunities linked to intra-African trade, innovation, market expansion and job creation. Fellowship at a Glance Programme: Enterprise Africa Network (EAN) Fellowship Programme Cohort: Cohort 2 Organiser: African Union Commission Programme Type: Startup acceleration and business development fellowship Number of Fellows: 100 Duration: 12 months Geographic Coverage: All 55 AU Member States Application Deadline: 30 September 2026 Results Communicated: October 2026 Programme Commencement: November 2026 The programme builds on the achievements of the inaugural EAN Fellowship cohort, which trained 56 fellows from 30 African countries and generated more than USD 1 million in deals and contracts. For Cohort 2, the African Union is expanding the programme significantly, with a target of supporting 100 fellows, generating USD 2 million in new attributable revenue and contributing towards the creation of 500 new jobs. A Major Opportunity for African MSMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises play a critical role in Africa’s economic development, employment creation and innovation. However, many businesses face challenges accessing markets, developing strong growth strategies, securing support and expanding beyond national borders. The EAN Fellowship Programme seeks to address some of these challenges by providing participating entrepreneurs with practical support tailored to the maturity and needs of their enterprises. The fellowship will offer participants structured learning opportunities, access to expert mentors and support designed to help businesses better understand continental trade opportunities. Participants will also have access to African Union Partners, the African Trade Observatory (ATO) and AfCFTA market intelligence tools, giving them opportunities to engage with resources relevant to expanding business activities. The programme also includes participation in continental events, creating opportunities for fellows to engage with wider entrepreneurial and business networks. Who Is Eligible to Apply? The EAN Fellowship is aimed at youth-led and women-led small enterprises operating within African Union Member States. To qualify, businesses must meet the programme’s stated requirements. Eligible enterprises should be: Registered and operating in an AU Member State Formally registered as a business entity Operating for at least two years Employing a minimum of three full-time staff The African Union particularly encourages applications from women-led enterprises, businesses based in underrepresented AU regions and enterprises from small island Member States. Applicants should carefully review the full eligibility requirements before applying to ensure that their enterprise meets the conditions for the fellowship. Seven Priority Sectors for Cohort 2 The fellowship covers seven sectors organised into two clusters aligned with opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Products Cluster The Products Cluster focuses on goods with potential for intra-African trade and includes: Manufacturing Agro-processing Creative Industries Services Cluster The Services Cluster includes: ICT and Digital Fintech Health Logistics and Transport This sectoral approach allows the fellowship to provide support that is relevant to the different needs and growth opportunities of participating enterprises. Three Fellowship Tiers Based on Business Maturity Fellows will be placed into one of three tiers according to the maturity and development stage of their businesses. Training, mentorship and market access support will be tailored to the needs of each tier. Tier 1: Growth 35 places are available under the Growth tier. This category is aimed at enterprises that have been operating for two to five years, employ at least three people and can demonstrate market traction. Tier 2: Expansion 40 places are available under the Expansion tier. Eligible businesses should have been operating for five to 10 years, employ between 10 and 30 people and demonstrate ambitions to expand across borders. Tier 3: Scale-Ready 25 places are available for Scale-Ready enterprises. This tier targets businesses that have operated for 10 or more years or have an investor-ready profile. The tiered model is intended to ensure that businesses receive support appropriate to their stage of development rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. The programme has also reserved a minimum of 40 places, representing 40 percent of the cohort, to support representation across all five AU continental regions. At least five places are reserved for enterprises from small island Member States. What Does the Fellowship Offer? All selected fellows will receive 12 months of structured training delivered across 10 modules. The learning programme will be differentiated according to both the fellow’s sector and the maturity tier of their enterprise. Participants will also receive expert mentorship through African Union Partners and gain access to relevant market intelligence resources. Other opportunities include participation in continental events and activities designed to support market access. Tier 1 and Tier 2 fellows will participate in virtual market-entry sessions across 10 AfCFTA pilot countries. Meanwhile, Tier 3 fellows will participate in business-to-business matchmaking sessions, potentially helping scale-ready enterprises build connections relevant to further commercial growth. What Applicants Need to Prepare Applications are submitted online and require applicants to provide important information about their enterprises. The application form collects details including: Business registration information Business sector Years of operation Number of employees Countries where the enterprise currently trades Revenue range Intellectual property status Access to formal finance Applicants must also submit a written pitch of up to 800 words describing their enterprise, its main market challenge and what they hope to achieve through participation in the fellowship. Shortlisted applicants will later be asked to provide one supporting document demonstrating access to finance. This may include a bank statement, mobile money statement or an equivalent document. However, this supporting document is not required at the initial application stage. Applicants should ensure that all information submitted is accurate. The African Union states that misrepresentation may result in immediate disqualification and permanent ineligibility for future EAN Fellowship cohorts. Who Cannot Apply? Certain individuals and groups are not eligible for the programme. These include: Current and former African Union Commission staff Employees and representatives of EAN institutional partners Staff of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) Graduates of previous EAN Fellowship cohorts Applicants should review the full call for applications and supporting documents before submitting their forms. How to Apply Applications for the Enterprise Africa Network Fellowship Programme Cohort 2 are submitted online through the official application platform. Interested entrepreneurs should prepare their business information and written pitch before beginning the application process. The application deadline is 30 September 2026. APPLY HERE: Visit the official application portal through the African Union’s EAN Fellowship announcement and complete the online application before the deadline. Official Information: Applicants can also review the Call for Applications and Concept Note provided by the African Union Commission for complete programme information. For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organisation offering this fellowship and does not process applications. This opportunity is shared for informational purposes. Applicants are encouraged to verify all eligibility requirements, deadlines and application procedures directly from the official source before applying. JOIN GSO WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW